Peanut Butter Frosting

This peanut butter frosting is creamy, fluffy, and just the right balance of sweet and salty. It comes together with six pantry staples and pipes beautifully onto cupcakes, cakes, brownies — or sandwiched between cookies. No need to chill, and it holds its shape at room temp.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Just 6 ingredients. All pantry staples, no complicated steps or special tools required.
• Frosts anything. Cupcakes, cookie cakes, brownies, or layer cakes — it’s flexible and pipes well.
• Naturally gluten-free. There’s no gluten in this recipe, but always double-check your ingredients — especially if you have celiac like I do. And make sure no one’s double-dipped in the peanut butter jar after making a sandwich!

Ingredients

TIP

Want your frosting stiffer for piping? Use less milk. Want it fluffier for spreading? Whip in a little extra.

Ingredient Notes

• Peanut Butter – Use a creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for best consistency. Natural PB can work but may require adjustments.
• Powdered Sugar – Sift for smoothest texture, especially if piping.
• Butter – Unsalted and softened to room temp. You can use dairy-free alternatives if needed.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds depth and balances the saltiness.
• Milk or Cream – Adjust for desired consistency.
• Salt – Optional, but brings out the peanut flavor (especially if your PB is unsalted).

Recipe FAQs

Yes — use vegan butter (like Earth Balance sticks) and a non-dairy milk like oat or almond.

Absolutely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring to room temp and re-whip before using.

You can, but the texture will be looser. Stir very well before using, and expect a softer consistency. You can also add more powdered sugar to make it stiffer, but you may lose some of the peanut butter flavor.

Expert Tips

• Use room temperature butter . Cold butter won’t blend evenly with the peanut butter and can leave your frosting lumpy. Let it sit out for 30–60 minutes before starting.
• Add milk slowly. Start with 1 tbsp and increase a teaspoon at a time until smooth.

Storage instructions

To make ahead:

This peanut butter frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Before using:

Let the frosting sit at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes, then give it a quick whip with a hand mixer or spatula to bring back its creamy texture.

Freezing:

You can freeze this frosting for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and rewhip before using. The texture might change slightly, but it still works beautifully for spreading.

Serving suggestions

This frosting is soft, creamy, and super versatile. Here’s how much one batch will cover:

• Pipe tall swirls on 12 cupcakes using a 1M piping tip,
• Spread across 24 cupcakes with a knife or spoon, or
• Cover a 9×13-inch sheet cake or a 2-layer 9-inch cake (for piped decorations, make a double batch).

Amazing on brownies, chocolate cakes, or sandwiched between cookies.

Need ideas beyond cupcakes? Try it with:

• Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake – A soft, rich layer cake that pairs beautifully with peanut butter frosting. Classic and crowd-pleasing.
• Gluten-Free Cookie Cake – Skip the pink and frost it with this instead — a salty-sweet combo made for birthdays and barbecues.
• Gluten-Free Fluffernutter Cookies – Love peanut butter? Double down with this frosting sandwiched between two cookies.

More gluten-free frostings to try

• 

  Royal Icing

• 

  Nutella Ganache

• 

  Strawberry Coulis

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.